MakeUseOf

The USB-C cable spec nobody reads matters more than you think

Brady Snyder — Thu, 28 May 2026 15:00:17 GMT

USB cables are littered with tiny technical differences that are impossible to see. Without using a cable tester or USB analyzer app, even seasoned tech experts aren't able to figure out the tech specs of unlabeled USB-C cables just by looking at them. The best way to ensure the USB-C or Thunderbolt cables you're using are up to snuff is to comb through a product listing or physical packaging before making a purchase. Look for details like the cable's USB or Thunderbolt version, USB Power Delivery support, and features like DisplayPort Alt Mode resolution to get an idea of how it will perform in your setup.

These Fire TV apps and tricks won't work on Amazon's new Vega OS devices

Jorge Aguilar — Thu, 28 May 2026 14:30:18 GMT

Amazon's Fire TV devices used to be among the better streaming sticks you could buy, partly because of the flexibility they offered under the hood. Vega OS changed most of that while making it work better on old Fire Sticks. Even so, the new operating system strips out the Android foundation that made those things possible and replaces it with something that works better for Amazon than for you.

I disabled Windows Prefetch and suddenly 5GB of my RAM became usable again

Pankil Shah — Thu, 28 May 2026 14:00:17 GMT

Like most PC users, RAM is something I constantly obsess over. After all, it’s the single most important component that decides how smooth my PC feels during everyday use. To that end, I recently also made some tweaks to reduce unnecessary RAM usage on my PC. And while doing that, I noticed the Task Manager showing nearly 5GB of RAM marked as cached.

I didn't expect a color eReader to look this good

Mahnoor Faisal — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:30:17 GMT

My parents realized that my reading addiction was going nowhere when I finished the entire Harry Potter series in under a week when I was hardly a teenager. They also realized that continuing to feed into my addiction by buying books for me meant that they'd need to get a separate room, and probably another income stream, just to keep up. Fortunately, all of this meant that convincing them to get me my first eReader wasn't all that difficult.

Handheld PCs are about to get a lot more powerful thanks to Intel's new Arc G3

Josh Hawkins — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:18 GMT

Rumors have been swirling about Intel's Arc G3 processors for some time now, and it looks like we're finally getting our first official look at the processors. Today, Intel debuted more information about the performance-based handheld processors, and we even got our first look at some of the handhelds that will be powered by them.

Acer's new Predator handheld just took aim at Steam Deck's biggest weakness

Josh Hawkins — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:18 GMT

Computex 2026 is looking to be a monumental moment for the next generation of computing, and we’re expecting some big things out of Nvidia, Intel, and other major players in the industry. While the main event isn’t set to kick off until June 2, Acer is getting a head start with some of its reveals by unveiling its next portable handheld gaming console, the Acer Predator Atlas 8.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon C platform could shake up the budget PC landscape

Dave Schafer — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:18 GMT

On May 28, Qualcomm announced the latest entry in the Snapdragon line of SoCs — the Snapdragon C platform. These new chips could help give the budget PC landscape a much-needed boost.

I tested Google 8.8.8.8 against Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 and the main difference wasn't speed

Gavin Phillips — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:18 GMT

Google vs. Cloudflare. A clash of the titans, one for the memories, up there with the all-time greats. Or something like that, if Google and Cloudflare were MMA fighters or boxers.

How to sideload books on your Kindle after Amazon cuts off the store

Christine Persaud — Thu, 28 May 2026 11:00:17 GMT

Amazon continues to release new Kindle models year after year, with models ranging from entry-level, affordable options to rugged ones, color options, and even the Kindle Scribe, which is like a combination eReader and digital notebook in one. They tend to last a long time, so chances are you might be hanging on to an old model you bought years and years ago. But Amazon recently stopped support for models made before 2012.

I unlocked my Galaxy with a different finger and it opened a totally different app — I had no idea this was possible

Brandon Miniman — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:00:27 GMT

Fingerprint unlock is the best: it's fast and it's secure. Since phone makers have moved the fingerprint sensor under the screen, whether via optical sensor (which uses light to scan your unique fingerprint) or ultrasonic (which uses sound waves to scan your unique fingerprint), these sensors have gotten very convenient.